Troops defuse 600-kilo bomb in north Mali: French military

Gao (Mali), Feb 13 (AFP) French troops today defused a homemade bomb they said contained 600 kilos of explosives in the centre of northern Mali's largest city Gao, the target of several attacks by Islamist rebels in recent days. The bomb, which was made of four metal barrels filled with explosives and connecting wires, was in the courtyard of an abandoned house, with heavy machine gun cartridges lying on the ground nearby and several smaller bombs inside the building, an AFP correspondent said. (AFP) HKR 02131818 NNNN